Made in Hobbiton
by Methestel
Summary: Dusk was gathering across the Shire. Merry was bent over a small pile of wood trying to kindle the fire, when he suddenly lightened up and looked at Pippin in a mixture of cheerfulness and mischief.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I own only my eagerness to read and re-read stories of Middle Earth. This sequence of words is a consequence of that, one which I hope you will enjoy.

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><p>The page was turned by small sturdy fingers, by the reckoning of men. Sun and shadow were falling over the writing, and wind, although not powerful enough to turn book pages, was rustling through leaves in the trees above and grass below.<p>

The reader was a hobbit, as all are in these parts of the land and his name was - well, Frodo. He was in his preferred spot, in the forest by the main road, spying as one would say on the arrival of a certain welcomed guest.

He had been sitting there for a while leaning against a tree trunk, breathing in the fresh air, absorbed by the reading. Presently, his mood changed, his concentration altered, and he raised his eyes from the page to the trees surrounding him. In that peacefulness he thought he had heard a noise, faint and distant, and he stood silently waiting.

He was fond of this place, leaf and grass, and as he listened to the forest, somehow in his heart a conviction grew, which he effortlessly whispered to himself.

'I do not wish to ever leave the Shire, I think.'

But it had not always been so.

^.^

'Will we ever meet dragons, do you think, Merry?' Pippin asked, continuing before Merry could make an answer 'I would love to see a dragon myself, just like the one from Uncle Bilbo's stories.'

'So would I', Merry added, taking advantage of the opportunity as it presented itself when Pippin looked up, trying to imagine himself facing a dragon. 'But I would not fancy a dragon being very hospitable.'

'I bet he'd like our pipe weed.'

'A dragon breathes fire, not smoke, Pippin. And besides, Uncle Bilbo lost the change to introduce dragons to our customs.'

'Maybe we could do it, you and I. He wouldn't be able to refuse it. Where do you think Frodo has gotten himself to?' Pippin said as he stood up.

They had been lying for some time in a field gold with sunlight, in what could be called a usual unusual-hunting expedition that the three often took near the borders of the Shire. Private property or not, they did not care, though they knew exactly where they were, and Frodo was nowhere to be seen.

'You think we should still wait for him?' Pippin asked, facing him.

'You think he'd be happy not to find us here?' Merry replied.

'But Merry, I'm hungry!'

'You're always hungry.'

'So are you.'

'Yes, but I'm not admitting it to myself. That's when real hunger starts.'

'Merry, if you ever speak again in that silly manner, I'll let the whole Shire know you're not a hobbit!'

'And what exactly am I then?'

'A pre-hobbit.'

'A what?'

'You know, what hobbits were before they were hobbits.'

'You…mind clearing that up for me?' Merry asked, frowning.

'It's all the food deprivation, it's not adding to your smartness.'

'A dumb pre-hobbit.' Merry said as he stood up too, hands on his hips. 'What else?'

'You brought this upon yourself, Merry.'

'Hey, shouldn't we wait for Frodo in a less exposed place, off the Farmer's fields?' Upon hearing this, Pippin looked around. 'Like on the edge of the forest over there?' Merry gestured sharply. 'That idea also came from my recent dumbness of mind,' and with that he slowly walked away.

'I don't think you should talk about yourself like that Merry, it's not proper.' Pippin said, as he started crossing the field closely behind. Merry stopped and turned around, with a menacing look on his face, forcing Pippin to stop and silence fell between them as they walked on.

'Where do you think hobbits came from?' Pippin asked, after a while.

'Why, from across the mountains, far East, when all lands were safe and the Greenwood fair. That's what they say, anyway. Funny things began to happen. Odd creatures began to lurk in the shadows of the forest.' The sun was slowly setting as they crossed the field talking, and the light grew grey and the air cooler. Soon, they crossed the road and made for the trees. 'That's when our Wandering Days began.'

'That's not the legend I've heard,' Pippin said, as Merry began to gather small twigs for a small camp fire.

'It couldn't be very different. We've most likely heard it from the same sources.'

'Well I've heard that it was not fear that drove us away from the Green Forest and across the mountains. It was a desire to settle by the sea, inspired by the Elves, you know.'

Merry began to laugh wholeheartedly, as it always happened when Pippin was around. For hobbits did not like the sea, not even a small river and his and Pippin's family activities, such as boating, were considered queer and unnatural. To advance the idea that hobbits had actually at one point in their history wanted to live by the sea was as truly extraordinary as it was true that the two of them were frowned-upon because of their proximity to the river by Shire-folk west of the Brandywine.

But Pippin was not to be deterred by Merry's amusement as he presently added, 'Really Merry, think about it. We were so close to the Elves once, I think we saw them every day back then, and talked to them. Isn't it just curious that we settled so close to the sea?'

'We're closer to the Grey Heavens than to any other land, there might be some truth in that Pip. But I don't think that was the main reason for our coming here. We're not Elves after all.'

'Why is it that our folk don't seem to agree on a simple story like our history?'

Dusk was gathering across the Shire. Merry was bent over a small pile of wood trying to kindle the fire, when he suddenly lightened up and looked at Pippin in a mixture of cheerfulness and mischief.

'Maybe our origins were so shameful, that our ancestors changed their minds a lot.'


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I own only my eagerness to read and re-read stories of Middle Earth. This sequence of words is a consequence of that, one which I hope you will enjoy.

* * *

><p>Pippin laughed nodding, as he sat down beside Merry. It was getting darker and darker, and Frodo was still out of sight.<p>

How much longer did they have in plan to wait for him? They had not yet considered the thought. Their minds were presently engaged in lighter, but no less important matters.

'Imagine the shock on old Proudfoot's face, were he to find out that our ancestors had lived under the sea and were more akin to fish. No hairy feet.'

'Or that we used to live in trees, just like the elves. Or high upon a mountain top', Merry continued, to which Pippin became serious.

'Really Merry, I really think we are simply too curious about these matters', he declared.

He could not have anticipated the effect his words had on Merry, for his companion straightened his back and declared with the outmost conviction, 'Pippin that was very intelligent, coming from you.' Pippin smiled at first, then looked puzzled, and opening his mouth he wanted to add something when a crisp, cracking noise stopped him. He looked around, starting to feel cold. Merry looked at him, and it became clear that he had heard the noise too. The fear in his eyes mirrored Pippin's. Yet they forgot they were in the Shire, and nothing bad could have ever happened to them there. At least, almost nothing.

The noise was repeated, clearer this time, followed by a rustling of branches and bushes. They got up instantly.

'What should we do?' Pippin asked.

The noise was ever closer, and as they ran behind the fire and Merry picked up a stone, forth sprang Frodo, in the dim light of the fire.

'What on Middle Earth are you doing?' Merry exclaimed, almost running towards an almost breathless Frodo.

'You gave us a nasty fright, Frodo' Pippin said, reaching them.

Frodo's mood was even more alarming than the manner of his arrival, after sunset to the appointed place.

'Quickly,' he said gasping, 'we must make haste' he continued, his back and head bent, his hands placed on his knees for support.

'What happened?' Merry asked, with a quick glance at Pippin, putting a hand on Frodo's shoulder. Pippin started stamping on the fire with his large hobbit feet.

'The beast, there's something chasing after me. It's dark and bent, a dark form larger than a hobbit's size' he said alarmingly.

Of course there was, they could hear it approaching. No more explanations were necessary for Master Meriadoc, and the three fled towards the road, followed by cracking and rustling.

Curiosity got the best of him, and as he ran, Pippin looked behind. At the edge of the forest, among the tall and dark trees he could see a form standing still as stone. He looked again, fear ever growing in his mind and slowing his pace as if he were running through water. There it was, black, watching them.

On they ran along the road, looking over their shoulders when they should have looked ahead. For that would have spared them the shock of bumping into what seemed to be a horse. A dark horse it was, coming apparently out of nowhere, and riding it was a large, dark shape, turning to face them. The hobbits stopped short.

'The creature!' Pippin shouted, 'It overtook us!'

Merry looked up aghast. 'Run! Back!' he yelled.

'Meriadoc Brandybuck. Peregrin Took and Frodo Baggins. What on earth is the matter?' the rider addressed them in a grave, stern voice, commanding even but for the softness of old age.

'Gandalf!' Frodo exclaimed, 'You're back in the Shire!'

'Gandalf? Is this the Gandalf with the fireworks, Frodo?' Merry asked, turning towards his cousin.

Pippin looked irritatingly at the two. 'We don't have time for this,' he said in an exasperated voice. 'There is a creature following us,' he started, almost whispering and gesturing as he advanced towards the rider. 'There was a black form chasing after Frodo, and then we all ran off. I saw it among the trees!'

'Then what are you all doing, chatting in the middle of the road, Peregrin Took?' Gandalf asked, bending over in his saddle. 'Run,' he said, in the silence that followed. 'Go home, shut yourselves in and don't come out until the break of day. I will keep this creature company,' he added softly to himself as the hobbits started off speedily, 'were it to show itself on the main road of the Shire.'

Hardly had they reached the first houses of the Shire, that the fear started to wear off. Not entirely, as to allow them to consider asking Gandalf for a firework demonstration tomorrow. When they reached Frodo's house, for it was the nearest of the three, they parted without lingering. If someone were to spot Frodo closing the familiar gate behind him and opening the door to Bag End, they would have supposed he was just returning from his evening walk. Indeed, by the time Frodo had entered the house and started to look for his uncle, he was tired, but more eager to speak.

'Hullo Frodo, my lad!' Bilbo, who had been busy with some old maps, greeted him.

'Hullo Uncle,' Frodo responded, plunging himself into an armchair by the fire.

'You've had a fruitful day I suppose,' Bilbo inquired.

'Yes I did, a most fruitful one' Frodo said, a smile on his red face and a glint of light in his eyes. 'You cannot imagine, you should have seen the looks on both Merry and Pippin's faces,' he said, bursting into laughter as he went on, 'we were running like mad hobbits and they didn't even bother to ask why!'

Bilbo seemed amused, and glancing towards Frodo he set the kettle for tea.

'I told them I was being chased by "something",' Frodo continued. 'I knew we'd all be late for supper if we were to walk home instead of running.'

'But what took you so long?'

'We went to the Farmer's land to check on his crops, now, I know you disapprove of that, and I'm afraid you'll disapprove even more of what I'm about to tell you. I left them only a couple of hours before sunset. I proposed we should pick a spot to investigate by ourselves, and then meet there after an hour had passed. You see, I wanted to see the place.'

Bilbo looked at him sharply.

'I wanted to see the place where that hobbit was killed by his brother.'

'I thought as much. You make me proud of you, dear Frodo.'

'Oh is that so, Uncle?' Frodo teased, with an incredulous smile on his face.

'Well yes. I was a young hobbit once, you know. And nothing could have prevented me from meddling into businesses that were none of my concern, from one Farthing of the Shire to the other. But you'd have to look farther away to the East if you wanted to find that place, if such a place exists. '

'But Gandalf said…'

'Ah, dear old Gandalf! He likes telling stories, you know. Especially when it comes to motivating people.'

'We've met Gandalf on the road earlier.'

'Gandalf? Why didn't you say so?' Bilbo exclaimed, advancing towards Frodo in a mixture of surprise and concern. 'I must prepare him a good meal.'

'I'm not sure he intends to stay. He looked pressed by important matters.'

'Nonsense. Go see if he's passed by the Boffinses,' Bilbo said busily.


End file.
